


Once in a Lifetime

by trajektoria



Series: The Red Thread of Fate [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, and fell in love as adults, reyes is tough but needs a hug, scott is a crybaby, they met as kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 12:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10808955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trajektoria/pseuds/trajektoria
Summary: Neither Scott, nor Reyes remember that they have already met over six hundred years ago in a different galaxy. And that their meeting wasn't without consequences.





	Once in a Lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to [kadarakings](https://kadarakings.tumblr.com/) and [captainjennhart](http://captainjennhart.tumblr.com/) for beta'ing the fic!
> 
> Default Scott Ryder, who is very pretty.

Reyes walked briskly through a narrow maintenance corridor, one of hundreds criss-crossing the Citadel. They weren't used by the general public but by the legion of engineers and other technicians who made sure that the station operated smoothly. Well, not exclusively by them, of course. Secluded spaces attracted all sorts of people, various crooks and smugglers included. However, right now it wasn't any shady business that brought Reyes here, but genuine, honest work for a change. The mop resting against his shoulder and the bucket full of chemical suds he pulled behind him didn't slow him down, neither did the washed out, slightly oversized janitorial uniform, which he still wasn’t entirely used to. Second week on the job, so he had to be on his best behavior. Even more so since he only got this position because he looked older than his thirteen years, and he had managed to beat one of his acquaintances at poker and then forced them to hack his files and make some subtle changes regarding his age. Cleaning floors was hardly a glamorous occupation, but Reyes knew that currently he didn't have too many options to choose from. Besides, it was just temporary until he found something that paid better. One day he'd have enough money to enlist for the pilot's course. No matter how long that would take and how many legal and not so legal jobs he needed to secure to achieve that. He would succeed, he knew that without a shadow of a doubt. All he needed was determination, and that was something he had in large quantities. The end justified the means. To a point, at least.

A pilot. That sounded wonderful. More than wonderful. Getting the hell away from here, yes. In his own shuttle preferably, allowing him to go whenever and wherever he wanted across the whole galaxy. Good pay, new and interesting people every day, cool uniform. And respect. As a pilot, he would finally be someone. Not human waste with a mother in the wind since times immemorial and a deadbeat, alcoholic father everyone despised. _Someone_.

Reyes smiled lightly, seeing in his mind's eyes himself ten years from now, all handsome and well-off, a captain of a ship traversing the skies and space. Yeah, that was nice. That was something he wanted. And he'd fight tooth and nail for it.

Reyes shook his head. Daydreaming was a pleasant pastime, but it achieved nothing. He had work to do. He hauled the bucket to the end of the corridor. Starting with the storage room there, he would gradually get back to the beginning, cleaning everything on his way. Piece of cake. Two hours tops and he would move to another part of the Citadel, maybe earning himself a small bonus for eagerness. He dipped the mop into the bucket, wrung it, and placed it on the floor.

A quiet noise caught his attention. He paused, surprised. Crying? Impossible. No one should be here at this hour, all the workers had gone to grab something to eat in the cafeteria. For a moment he thought that he must have misheard, but the sound repeated itself. Yes, clearly, someone was crying behind the closed door.

Reyes hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. Besides, knowledge was power, information could be sold, traded and used as leverage. He liked to know everything. Just in case.

Carefully, he left the mop and followed the noise to the door. The sobbing was getting louder with every step he took. He listened for a moment and then finally punched the button, opening the door.

Reyes found himself at the threshold of a tiny storage room full of various crates. One of them, filled with some metal junk, stood open near the opposite wall. And smack in the middle of the room, with his back to the door, a brown-haired human boy sat cross-legged, bawling loudly.

Reyes just stared. That wasn't something he expected. Children were a mystery to him, one he wasn't too eager to solve. He probably should just turn on his heel and walk away, leaving the kid alone. The cleaning wouldn't do itself. But... well, that wouldn't be right, would it? Damn conscience. Despite his best efforts, that annoying voice in the back of his head persisted and pestered him.

 “Hey, you okay there, bud?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

The little boy hiccupped, startled, and jumped to his feet, gawking at Reyes with big blue eyes, now all red and puffy. He quickly wiped his wet cheeks with his hands and the snot hanging from his nose with the sleeve of his white shirt, leaving gross marks on the fabric. Then he nodded half-heartedly, confirming that he was indeed fine.

_Yeah, right._

Reyes sized him up searchingly. The brat was probably no more than six years old and didn't seem scared of him. As if it didn't even occur to him that Reyes might want to harm him in any way. Sheltered upbringing then. His clothes, nice and expensive, seemed to confirm that theory. Probably a child of some scientist, military officer or maybe a politician. Definitely not someone from Reyes's social circle, that was for sure.

The practical side of Reyes had already calculated how much his fence would give him for the boy's outfit. The more decent side, however, chastised him immediately and mercilessly for even thinking of stooping so low.

He sighed inwardly. Damn conscience.

 “Why are you crying?”

“I'm not crying!” protested the kid, a new wave of tears spilling from his eyes.

_Crap_. This was why he always avoided children like a plague.

“What are you doing here? Are you lost?” asked Reyes, attempting to calm him down.

“No.” The boy sniffed loudly. Only now did Reyes notice that the kid was missing two teeth – one at the front and one molar on the right. There was no blood, so sudden deficiencies in the oral cavity weren't the likely reason for this teary waterfall.

 “What happened then?”

The boy kicked the floor and tugged nervously at his sleeves, avoiding Reyes's gaze.

“Sara said that I suck because I can't make a singularity,” he muttered eventually.

“A singularity?” echoed Reyes, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Yeah.”

As if everything he had said was obvious. Well, it wasn't. Reyes had no idea what he was talking about.

Or... could it be?

“Are you a biotic?”

“Yeah.”

Reyes tensed, immediately on his guard. He saw biotics in action – throwing people around, bending metal doors with their minds, creating shields – and heard enough stories about them to be wary. About how destructive their powers could be and how the implants in their brains slowly drove them insane. Walking time bombs, just waiting to explode when you least suspected them. And on the battlefield – unstoppable murderers, worse than a bunch of pissed off krogans.  

The images of violence and destruction in his head clashed with the sight of this wide-eyed, innocent kid in front of him. He didn't know what to think.

“But maybe I won't be one after all.” The boy filled the silence, sounding really defeated. On the verge of tears again. “I can't do it. I suck, just as Sara said.”

Hearing that, Reyes recoiled. It struck a chord with him, bringing back memories he didn't want to experience again. All the times when people told him that he was good for nothing, that he would never achieve anything, that he might as well curl up in a ditch and die. And it made him angry. He took a deep breath, trying not to lash out, as tempting as it was.

“Listen, kid, I don't know much about biotics, but I do know that everything takes time. And practice. Just because you can't do something today, it doesn't mean you won't be able to do it tomorrow. So just keep trying until you succeed and prove those who doubted you wrong.”

“But I already tried. And I couldn't do it,” he insisted, gesturing vaguely to the open crate.

Well, the pep talk didn't do much, apparently. Why did he even care? He wasn't sure, but he knew that he couldn't just walk away now. Not if he wanted to look himself in the eye. With an inward sigh of frustration, he searched his memory for anything useful, any piece of advice he could offer this snotty-nosed brat. He really knew next to nothing about biotics, save perhaps from witnessing a bar brawl with one completely wasted asari in the middle of it. That had to do, he really had nothing else to give.

“When I saw an asari use her powers, she twisted her wrist like that.” He demonstrated a very basic move of flicking your fingers and turning the hand. “Maybe you can try that?”  

It sounded incredibly lame to his own ears, but the kid stared at him with such intensity, as if Reyes had bestowed upon him ancient, forbidden knowledge. The boy nodded with a serious expression to show that he understood and then turned around to face the crate again.

Reyes couldn't help but watch with burning curiosity how the kid's forehead creased in very adult-like concentration. The tears had dried already, as if they were never there. The boy, calm and completely focused, extended his hand and mimicked the gesture Reyes had showed him.

A small ball of purplish energy formed above the crate, surrounded by a weak gravitational field. Reyes stared in stunned silence as all the bolts and nails started to float, bumping chaotically into one another mid-air.

_Holy shit_. He didn't honestly think that would work.

The kid gasped, just as surprised. He let out a squeal of joy and clapped his hands, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He looked at Reyes with pride and something akin to veneration.

“I did it! I _can_ be a biotic!”

Reyes smiled despite himself.

 “Good job, kid.”

 The boy positively beamed.

“I'll make Sara float under the ceiling now!” he said with an impish glint in his eyes.

Reyes laughed. That brat had his priorities sorted out and a mischievous streak to couple it.

“You do that. Give her hell.”

Reyes huffed in surprise when the kid's chin collided with his stomach, and a pair of puny arms wrapped themselves around his waist in a tight hug. The boy gave him a toothy – or rather, largely toothless – grin.

“Thanks, sir!”

Reyes felt something swelling in his chest.

“No problem.” He patted his head awkwardly. “But now scram before someone sees you and you get in trouble.”

The boy nodded fervently and ran out of the storage room quicker than a bullet. Sara, whoever she was, was in for an unpleasant time.

“ _Sir_.” Reyes snorted, but the smile just wouldn't disappear from his face. For that kid, even if only for a brief moment, he was someone. Someone worthy of respect. That felt... nice. One day he'd make everyone see just how worthy of respect he was.

But for now he had floors to mop.

 

* * *

 

The Pathfinder's quarters at Kadara's outpost were probably the nicest room on the planet, Reyes made sure of that. Large, comfortably furnished and with huge, venetian windows allowing a magnificent view of the landscape without compromising their privacy. It was their refuge and a love nest when Scott could take a few days of shore leave. Among many amenities the quarters had to offer, was a big screen, in front of which Reyes and Scott had cuddled comfortably. It was their movie night and Reyes wanted to show his lover a few of his favorite pieces. Star Wars, now that was a timeless classic.

“Ready?” he asked, finger on the omni-tool, about to start up the movie.

“You promised me snacks,” Scott whined jokingly, head-butting his lover's shoulder.

 “Chips are in the crate over there,” Reyes pointed to the corner of the room with a finger gun. He made a move as if to stand up and fetch them, but Scott held him in place. 

“I've got this,” he said, his eyes crinkling playfully. He extended his hand with nonchalance, twisting his wrist.

A small ball of purplish energy formed above the crate, surrounded by a weak gravitational field. All the products started to float, bumping chaotically into one another mid-air.

 “Huh,” said Reyes. His tone was so strange that it made Scott look at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“What?”

“I just had the weirdest case of déjà vu.”

“Really?”

Reyes shook his head.

“Yeah. Never mind. You better get us those snacks with your space magic.”

Scott chuckled, stole a brief kiss from his lips, and pulled the bag of chips right into his hand, letting the rest of items fall gently back into the crate.

“My space magic has a lot of useful applications.” Scott's voice dropped an octave as he used the energy-charged fingertips of his free hand to stroke Reyes's neck.

Reyes shivered. The memories of just how creative Scott could get with his biotics were still vivid in his mind.

 “But first – food!” Scott tore the package open and unceremoniously shoved a fistful of chips into his mouth. “Mhm... Good!” Eager munching sounds confirmed that statement.

Reyes smiled. Sometimes he still couldn't believe how lucky he truly was to have met this incredible man. Something like that happened only once in a lifetime.

Reyes turned the movie on and relaxed against his lover's warm body. With Scott by his side and Kadara at his feet, he felt truly happy. He felt like someone.


End file.
